“It has to be a critical mass of us that simultaneously come to an anti-oppressive consciousness that will enable the dismantling of systemic oppression.”
A voice of reason during these historical times invites us to do something different, together.
“For the first time in my lifetime, we have the tools, understanding and capacity to unify the lines between being an environmentalist and a Black or an Indigenous activist,” says Nikki Iyolo Sanchez.
Sanchez knows the life of a minority and a displaced person having moved across the Americas, from El Salvador to Canada, while her parents fought against genocide and injustice. Compelled to dismantle the oppressive systems they faced, her work is centered around decolonization and environmental protection. At just 13-years-old she spoke at the Canadian United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and would go on to receive her master's degree in Indigenous Governance, produce a docu-series on VICELAND and become a TEDx speaker. She is presently getting her PH.D. in emerging visual media technology as it relates to Indigenous ontology and is a facilitator for anti-oppression training.
“By expanding our scope of understanding and using critical analysis, this work of allyship will result in the same objective—liberation for everyone and a livable planet,” Sanchez says.
During these historical times across the country, it is crucial that we all take actionable steps towards fighting the inequalities that affect BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).
Here are Sanchez’s four step to becoming a better ally.
1. Know Who You Are
By learning about where we come from, including our land of origin and tracing our ancestors’ journeys, we can recognize the global story that connects us all. Talk to your family, especially your elders, and begin mapping your history in context with political, economic and ecological histories that are inextricably linked. Stepping into this work with personal accountability and awareness is essential to not replicate the systems of oppression from which white privilege stems.
“We are not architects of history, but we are the inheritors, and it is our responsibility to structure a future that we actually want to offer the next generations.”
2. Recognize Who Has Struggled for Your Well-Being
When you walk on the soil and drink the water in your place of home, it is important to know that people had to struggle for your access to the most basic environmental services that enable your well-being. And it is absolutely your responsibility to be an ally in their fight for cultural survival. Understanding, upholding and valuing the ways of life and worldviews that Indigenous ontology holds is an essential way forward to create sustainable ways of life on the planet and respect the stewards of the land that came before us.
“Anti-racism and environmental activism are facets of the same endeavor. We can’t look at either of these without looking at both of them.”
3. Put Your Skin in the Game
Find structural and tangible ways to put your own skin in the game. If you are going to protests, be deliberate about how you show up for BIPOC communities and consider making personal sacrifices, financial or otherwise. Call out friends and associates about injustices you witness or consider opening up a room in your house for activists who struggle with housing insecurity. You can also support activists by using your industry and services to aid those who are risking their safety and stability for the fight towards justice.
“It has to be a critical mass of us that simultaneously come to an anti-oppressive consciousness that will enable the dismantling of systemic oppression.”
4. Connect in Meaningful Ways with BIPOC Communities
By consuming more literature, music and media created by BIPOC and attending their cultural events and performances, you amplify their voices to provide economic and social support. By learning about other people’s cultures and traditions we become more emotionally invested, making it near impossible to participate in systems that oppress the same people we are connected to—together becoming courageous, powerful and revolutionary.
Contact Nikki: IG & Twitter @nikkilaes
Furthering Your Education: Resources for Anti-Racism
+ DecolonizingPractices.org
+ FutureAncestors.ca
+ AntiRacism.co